The presence of Jews settlements in Veneto (the region
of Venezia) is attested since the 4th and the 5th centuries.
In the town of Venezia there were Jews during the Dark Ages and their number increased
since 14th century when Jewish merchants and moneylenders were allowed to work in town.
An important wave of immigration occurred after 1492 when Jews were expelled from
Spain and Portugal. Many of these Spanish and Portugese Marranos went back to Judaism once
moving to Venice.

In 1516 the Governor of Venice decided that all the Jews
had to live in a closed area of the city, the "ghetto". In 1541 and in 1603
other areas were added to the first ghetto where Jews of other communities of Veneto
(Treviso, Padova, Verona, Vicenza, Rovigo, Mestre, etc.) were required to reside. Later
the ghetto became the place of residence also for Jews from Rome, from South Italy
and from Poland where they escaped persecutions and massacres.

In the three parts of the ghetto ("ghetto
novo", "vecchio", and "novissimo")
German, Levantine and Italian Jews melted together. Their number fluctuated, due to
immigration, restrictions, plague and emigration.

The Jewish cemetery of Venezia is one of the oldest and most
historically important Jewish cemetery in Europe. It was founded in 1386 and for four
centuries served as the only burial ground for the Jews of Venezia. It holds hundreds of tombstones dating back to
its foundation. Funerals took place in gondolas from the Jewish Ghetto to the cemetery
situated in the northern part of Venice.

A Jewish funeral in Venice

Resources of the 17th and
the 19th century:List of records that can be found for the Jews of Venice: